1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a building glass facade of a building comprising a plurality of glass elements covering at least a portion of a building, at least one of said glass elements comprising a glass pane.
The invention further relates to a clamping arrangement in a facade for holding a glass pane on a facade.
More particularly, the invention relates to a glass pane clamping arrangement for clamping a building glass pane in a facade to a building
2. Background Information
The German Patent No. 195 19 527 A which relates to a device of the type briefly described above, in which a carrier element is connected with the holding device that is provided at the facade of the building, and the carrier element is supported at clamp elements provided at the interior of the building. Support of the carrier element is by way of a bearing portion or head portion of the carrier element, which head portion is journalled in the receiving portion or chamber of the clamp element so as to elastically yield when considered in the longitudinal axial direction of the carrier element, whereby the head portion is additionally journalled in the receiving portion such that it can accommodate lateral play, to thereby allow shifting of the carrier element or, respectively, its head portion, parallel to the plane of the glass pane upon this being impacted by pressure of wind. The elastic yielding of the head portion is afforded by spring washers or a permanently elastic material, the arrangement of which in the bearing chamber continuously effects a reset force on the carrier element or, respectively, the glass pane in the sense of a positioning of the carrier element orthogonally to the glass pane, and this, in the final analysis, causes introduction of stresses into the glass pane. Furthermore, larger tolerances between the holes in the glass pane and the point of connection at the building-side holding device can not be balanced.
German Patent No. 44 00 979 A1 also relates to a device as briefly described above. In this there is described that the clamp element (bearing seat) has, at its mantle surface directed towards the holder, a spherical surface at which is supported a compensation member which, in turn, is configured with a complementing spherical portion. The clamp element has a through bore for receiving therein the clamp screw which connects the clamp elements, and there is also provided a holding screw which passes through a spacer and the compensating member and reaches into the clamp element. This known assembly allows the adjustment of tolerances due to its configuration between the bore in a glass pane and a sub-structure (holder), however, no support of the glass pane in the manner of a resilient elastic support at the holder upon installation is provided for in this reference.
A similar installation is described in German Patent No. 44 45 724 A1, in which the clamp element that is located at the interior of the building has a spherical surface at its surface directed towards the holder, and disposed at this spherical surface is connected a drag or swing bearing of a fastening part of its complementing surface, whereby the swing bearing is held with lateral play in an encasing nut. Upon assembly, again, in this prior art reference no provision is made to permit a relative movement of the pane with respect to the fastening part. Furthermore, European Patent No. 0 784 129 A1 makes known a support of a fastening screw at a holder in which a plate which forms part of the holder is fixed between two planar-convex, lens-shaped elements which are in direct contact with their planar surfaces at the plate, whereby one of the lens-shaped elements with its convex surface is in contact at a clamp element positioned at the inside of the building and the other lens-shaped element is in contact with a nut which receives the fastening screw.
The fastening of highly sensitive glass panes, for example, in conjunction with silicon dice panes, or silicon panes, for the photovoltaic current generation, the known fastening systems do not meet the required demands. Already upon low wind pressures or, respectively, minor deformations due to conduction of heat, the silicon elements break, which is tantamount to the loss of the purpose of the glass plate or pane.
An object of the invention resides in a building glass facade of a building having a provision of a fastening assembly as briefly mentioned in the introduction herein which, for one, permits an adaptation free of tension of the fastening assembly under consideration of even large tolerances of configuration during assembly thereof, and that, as well, upon assembly, there exists a sufficient elasticity between the fastening assembly and the glass pane, and the fastening assembly is capable of being able to absorb wind pressures or stresses due to heat without introduction of tension into the glass pane.
This object can be achieved with a building glass facade of a building comprising a plurality of glass elements covering at least a portion of a building, at least one of said elements comprising a glass pane, said facade comprising: at least one glass pane; said at least one glass pane comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a hole connecting said first and second surfaces; a clamping arrangement; said clamping arrangement being disposed through said hole; said clamping arrangement including a first clamp device at said first side of said glass pane and a second clamp device at said second side of said glass pane; said clamping arrangement being configured and disposed to secure said glass pane in clamped attitude; a first angle adjustment arrangement; said first angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust an angle of said clamping arrangement; said first angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional pivotal movement of said second clamp device to adjust and hold the position of said glass pane securely relative to a building; said clamping arrangement being supported on said second side of said glass pane by said first pivot joint arrangement; and a second angle adjustment arrangement; said second angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust another angle of said clamping arrangement; said second angle adjustment arrangement being connected in tandem with said first angle adjustment arrangement to adjust for irregularities in said at least one glass pane and for irregularities in said building to thus hold the glass pane firmly in a facade of said building; said second angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional movement of at least a portion of said first angle adjustment arrangement relative to a building to thus adjust for irregularities of said at least one glass pane and for irregularities in said building and to thus firmly hold the position of said glass pane relative to said building.
Claim 1 teaches that an interior clamp element or device has a conical or spherical surface that is provided by a permanently elastic spring member which is disposed on that glass side which is facing away from the glass pane, and against this conical or spherical surface can be set with pre-stressing a complementing or mating surface of the interior or mantle of a bell-shaped housing, whereby between the bell-shaped housing and a securement screw on one hand and a securement screw and the holding device on the other hand, there are provided pivot joints that include rigidity control, in other words, that can be locked in place or position.
The invention further teaches that wind pressure and thermal stresses are absorbed by the elastic support of the bell-shaped housing at the interior clamp element, because also after a concluded assembly there can be achieved a relative movement of the two components with respect to one another, but without the introduction of reset or restoring forces into the glass pane. This is assured by the adjustable pre-stressing effected between the clamp element and the bell-shaped housing. By means of a multi-segmented or partitioned structure of the fastening assembly by at least two pivot joints, there is provided not only a well matched adaptation to large tolerances of construction; the individual hinge points of the pivot joints form, upon being fixedly steadied during assembly, framework points that have a certain inherent elasticity, which additionally contribute to the stress-free mounting or fastening of the glass pane.
Further features of the invention are contained in the dependent claims.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the interior clamp element or device itself can have, at its mantle surface area which is facing away from the glass pane, a conical or spherical area. As a matter of principle, the conical or spherical surface can be provided by the mentioned permanently elastic spring member, even when the clamp element has planar surfaces.
As well, in the interior clamp element there is provided a central through bore comprising internal screw threading for receiving thereon a locking screw which connects the clamp elements to one another, as is an adjustment screw for connecting the bell-shaped housing with the interior clamp element, whereby in accordance with the teaching of the invention, the permanently elastic spring member is configured as permanently elastic pillow which is disposed between the conical or spherical surface of the interior clamp element that is facing the glass pane and the complementing surface of the bell-shaped housing. By means of the mentioned adjustment screw for the bell-shaped housing, the permanently elastic pillow can be clamped to such an extent that not only the pillow as such absorbs stresses directed into the glass pane, but there is also provision made for a relative shifting of the bell-shaped housing with respect to the permanently elastic pillow, for supporting the glass pane in substantially stress-free manner.
In accordance with a special feature of the invention, the bell-shaped housing has, on its side facing the holding device, a cylindrical extension comprising external screw threading and between this cylindrical extension and the bell-shaped housing, in the region of the bottom wall of the bell-shaped housing, there is disposed an inwardly directed flange which serves as support for the screw head of the adjustment screw of the bell-shaped housing. A free play or motion portion provided between the flange and a shaft of the adjustment screw for the bell-shaped housing allows the arrangement of a disc in the form of a lens-shaped spacer between the flange and the screw head of the adjustment screw for the bell-shaped housing, in such a way that the shaft of the adjustment screw for the bell-shaped housing can carry out a pendulum motion relative to the bell-shaped housing. This pendulum motion is facilitated when the support surface of the flange and the complementing surface of the lens-shaped spacer extend in conical or spherical manner.
It is advantageous that use is made of a non-metallic lens-shaped spacer comprised, for example, of a hard rubber with gliding properties. In this manner, there is provided in a practical way an additional pivot joint between the bell-shaped housing and the interior clamp element and, accordingly, the glass pane.
A further pivot joint is achieved thereby that the face of the extension directed towards the holding device is curved in concave or lens-shaped manner, whereby a cup-like swivel nut or encasing nut, or bell-shaped nut, which extends over the outer screw threading of the cylindrical extension of the bell-shaped housing, has an inner bottom wall which is curved in the direction opposite to the forward face of the extension of the bell-shaped housing, such that between the forward face of the extension of the bell-shaped housing and the bottom wall of the swivel, or bell-shaped, nut there can be accommodated two lens-shaped spacers which are in contact with one another with their respective planar surfaces. By means of the above-described swivel nut the described pivot joint can be rigidly disposed when the final assembly has been established.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention resides therein that the plano-convex, lens-shaped spacer that contacts the bottom wall of the swivel, or bell-shaped nut is a component of a nut which receives the securement screw, whereby the option is provided that the securement screw can be screwed-in more or less deeply into the nut, for the purpose of a desired shortening or extending of the longitudinal extent of the entire fastening assembly. So as to achieve the mentioned pivot joint, the shaft of the nut is dimensioned such that it is passed with a free play or motion portion through a bore in the bottom wall of the bell-shaped nut.
A further pivot joint can, in known manner, be realized in the region of the direct connection of the securement screw with the holding device, thereby that the securement screw passes with a free play or motion portion through a bore in the holding device and the holding device is secured between a nut and a locknut, whereby there is provided, respectively, between the nut and the locknut on one hand and the holding device on the other hand, a plano-convex, lens-shaped spacer which is in contact with its planar surface with the holding device, and the nut and locknut have support surfaces which are complementing the surface of the lens-shaped spacer. Again, here during final assembly of the respective components there is achieved an adjustable and adaptable pivot joint which, upon completion of the assembly phase, can be controlled as to rigidity, or in other words, can be locked in place and position, whereby between the last-mentioned pivot joint, which provides the connection to the holding device, and in the pivot joint provided by the bell-shaped housing and the swivel nut there may be disposed a spacer or sleeve member.
The configuration of the clamp element which clamps the glass pane and which is provided at the exterior of the building can be in any manner; it can be provided in known manner as dish-type element or as countersunk screw, without affecting the stress-free fastening of the glass pane achieved in accordance with the invention.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided in a building glass facade of a building having at least one glass pane, a clamping arrangement for holding a glass pane on a building facade at a building, said clamping arrangement comprising: a first clamp device, said first clamp device being configured to be disposed substantially stationary at a first side of a glass pane; a second clamp device, said second clamp device comprising a clamp device and disposed at the opposite side of a glass pane; said clamping arrangement being configured and disposed to retain a glass pane in clamped attitude; a first angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust an angle of said clamping arrangement; said first angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional pivotal movement of said second clamp device to adjust and maintain the position of a glass pane securely relative to a building; said clamping arrangement being supported on said second side of a glass pane by said first pivot joint arrangement; and a second angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust another angle of said clamping arrangement; said second angle adjustment arrangement being connected in tandem with said first angle adjustment arrangement to adjust for irregularities in a glass pane and for irregularities in a building to thus hold a glass pane firmly in a facade of a building; said second angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional pivotal movement of at least a portion of said first angle adjustment arrangement relative to a building to thus adjust for irregularities of a glass pane and for irregularities in a building and to thus firmly hold the position of a glass pane relative to a building.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a glass pane clamping arrangement for clamping a building glass pane in a facade of a building, said clamping arrangement comprising: a first clamp device, said first clamp device being configured to being substantially stationary disposed at a first side of a glass pane; a second clamp device being configured to be disposed at a second side of said glass pane opposite said first side of said glass pane; said clamping arrangement being configured and disposed to retain a glass pane in clamped attitude; a first angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust an angle of said clamping arrangement; said first angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional pivotal movement of said second clamp device to adjust and maintain the position of a glass pane securely relative to a building; said clamping arrangement being supported on said second side of a glass pane by said first pivot joint arrangement; and a second angle adjustment arrangement being configured and disposed to adjust another angle of said clamping arrangement; said second angle adjustment arrangement being connected in tandem with said first angle adjustment arrangement to adjust for irregularities in a glass pane and for irregularities in a building to thus hold a glass pane firmly in a facade of a building; said second angle adjustment arrangement comprising a pivot joint arrangement configured to permit substantially multi-directional pivotal movement of at least a portion of said first angle adjustment arrangement relative to a building thus to adjust for irregularities of a glass pane and for irregularities in a building and to thus firmly hold the position of a glass pane relative to a building.
Thus, there is provided a fastening assembly for a glass pane at a building-side holding device, in other words, at a building facade, which fastening assembly includes a clamping arrangement, with an exterior and an interior clamp device, and which clamping arrangement secures the glass pane in clamped position. The fastening assembly is supported at the interior clamp device by a pivot joint arrangement which provides an articulated support.
The above-discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figures. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventionsxe2x80x9d, that is, the plural of xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d. By stating xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d, the Applicants do not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintain that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. The Applicants hereby assert that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.